A FORMER town mayor is celebrating after becoming the first member of the North East Party win a council seat.

Mary Cartwright, who won the Peterlee Town Council by-election for the Eden Hill Ward said: “The North East Party, formed only six months ago is most definitely on its way .

“I am absolutely delighted to have won. I am determined to serve the people of Eden Hill well.”

Cllr Cartwright, who served as a mayor for the town during a 12-year tenure as councillor, said she had to stand down after having mild stroke.

She said: “I have still being doing work and helping people while I’ve been off but I felt this was an ideal opportunity to try and get back to represent the people again.

“I was in the Labour Party before, but I did feel at the time that when I was trying to get things done I had to toe the Labour policy line.

“Sometimes I was not able to fulfil all the wishes of the people of my ward. I think that now as an independent I will be able to do more good.”

Susan McDonnell NEP Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Easington said: “Mary Cartwright will be a fabulous addition to Peterlee Town Council, standing up for people, independently and well. She is a brilliant example of NEP politics in action, a breath of fresh air to the tired old politics of North East England and she has already shown us that we can win.”

The North East Party, launched in May by former Labour MP Hilton Dawson, wants greater powers to be devolved to the North-East, with the region to have its own elected assembly with powers similar to the Scottish or Welsh governments.